THE Party Chapter 5
The Wrath
So, here I sit, on the couch in shame as James tries to come up with some cover story for the both of us.
"-and that's how I ended up mysteriously drawn to these particular coordinates on our suffering global surface. Guess what, sir? I found a plastic cup on your lawn. Just imagine how many polar bears could have died fro-" My father clenches both his fists and glowers at the shirtless teenage boy standing in the middle of his living room floor.
"Sit. Down." He hisses in a venomously low voice. "Now." I have never seen him this angry in my life. We have always had one of those Daddy's little girl relationships… apparently things can change.
"And the penguins! I can't even-"
James was just thrown on the couch by my father's hand by the scruff of his neck.
"Dad! Really! Come on, he is just as guilty as I am and quite frankly he is my friend and I recall it being my idea to invite him over." I try to look him dead in the eye but fail as the nagging half of my brain mentions that I was being slightly disrespectful.
"Just a mate, eh? Then remind me again what position you were in this morning. And the reason behind that big purple blemish on your neck. I am sure that you can't explain why you were looking at him like- like- that just now." His voice brakes a little bit at the end. My mum steps in; she is tall with glossy red hair and porcelain skin.
"James, what is your mother's telephone number? I can call her to come pick you up." She says, her voice ringing with strict politeness.
All eyes are on James. "Felly-t-tone? Err, sorry ma'am. I don't believe there is such a thing." He looks at me.
"James is a pure-blood wizard, mum. They don't use electricity." I explain.
"So I will use Gizmo, then?" I nod at my owl's name. "What is your mother's name, James?"
James looks guiltily up at her. "Valerie Potter." My mother heads upstairs to retrieve my owl.
My father snarls. "My baby girl is supposed to end up with a successful man who's destined to become a doctor or a lawyer. Not some daft brute who doesn't even know what electricity is!"
James looks down at his hands. "Actually, sir, I want to be an Auror." I am at loss for words because my jaw just dropped to the floor. Everyone knew that James Potter is going to be a world famous Quiditch player, not something that actually serves a purpose in society.
"And what is an Auror, might I ask?" Dad grunts stubbornly.
"They are dark wizard catchers. There is a war coming, I don't plan on just sitting round and watching others being murdered at the hands of those narrow-minded idiots."
Dad takes time to process this. "A war… as in, that He Who Must Not Be Named bloke wants to start a war? What for? I thought Dumbledore is protecting everyone."
James laughs darkly. "He plans on more than a war, sir. As far as I know, his ambitions are set on clearing the wizarding world of all those who, in his views, are un-worthy of magical knowledge. He is recruiting more wizards every day. They call themselves Death Eaters and they specialize in dark magic. Not much is more dangerous. That is where Aurors come in. They hunt them down, arrest them, usually set them to a hearing and as far as I'm concerned, they go to prison."
Dad's eyes are wide and he looks very unsettled. "And who, in his opinion are un-worthy to have magical knowledge?"
James just clenched his jaw and cracked his knuckles. In other words, he despises this topic. "Those who… have non-magical parents, also identified as muggle-born. Pure-bloods and half-bloods who befriend muggles or muggle-borns are also referred to as blood traitors."
"So, Lily is a target." Dad sums up. But James is already shaking his head.
"I won't let anything happen to her, Mr. Evans." He says it so passionately that I actually believe him. I look at James's face and for the first time, I don't see that immature, arrogant boy. I see a brave, loyal man and I can't help my heart swooping when I look at his determined eyes.
"But, that'd be dangerous for you too. You're too young, you will get yourself killed. Shouldn't you be going into hiding?" Dad asks shakily.
James looks up and meets my father's green eyes. "I would never run from him. I will fight alongside my friends and when I'm killed, sir I can assure you that I will take as many death eaters with me as I can. Voldemort too if possible."
"That's very brave of you. Still doesn't explain why you are here though." He says.
"Dad!" I explode.
He chuckles "It's alright Lily we were just playing!"
James turns to me, pissed off.
"Well, the truth is, sir," James sighs. "I'm really not drawn to this room because of its coordinates. They were not written in blood on a treasure map. I didn't find it in the black lake where a pirate ship had burst into flames spontaneously and it wasn't rolled up in an old wax-sealed bottle…" He looks at my father again. "You see, sir, I have… Admired your daughter. Fancied if you will. For a while now. The other night, I had my two best friends over and we had the ingenious brain wave to accompany her while you, sir, and your wife were absent." He has the perfect expression of guilt and apologies as he sighs. "I guess a few other people had err… over heard and it all just got out of hand. Sorry, Mr. and Mrs. Evans, really, I didn't mean any harm by it. Believe me, I had no idea that my best mate, Sirius Black, who is quite the unusual character, had brought a certain substance in the state of liquid that doesn't usually agree with your average person's brain when you've had too much." He gives dad a shifty grin at the end. I open my mouth to protest his attempt to cover for me.
Right when dad is about to reply, a loud pop echoes through the house and an average height woman with sleek black hair and blazing blue eyes appears into the room. My mother comes through the door way.
"Ahh, you must be James's mother. My name is Marie Evans and this is my husband John." She smiles warmly. Mrs. Potter returns the gesture and looks around the room, stopping dead on her son's figure.
"Very nice home you have. Quite clean if I do say so myself."
"Believe me Mrs. Potter, this room is lots cleaner than all the others." I try and take her attention away from the some-what cowering James.
"Ah. You must be the famous Lily Flower." She gives me a warm smile. "Yes, I have heard lots about you. I must congratulate you on the O you received on the end of the year final exam. Jameson got a note from professor McGonagall to stop doodling on his page. She said if he was so concerned about a certain L.E, than he should either ask her out or move on."
"Mum, that is extremely un-called for! I told you not to call me that!" A crimson-faced James whimpers desperately.
"I will call you whatever I want Jamie, I am your mother after all. Plus, if you wish to marry this young lady, you should probably tell her the truth about your feelings." She says sweetly, causing her son's face to flush even more. I like Mrs. Potter.
James bolts up and strides to the door attempting to take his mother with him. "Come on, we are leaving. It was nice meeting you Mr. Evans."
"Oh, no Jamesie, I like these folks. Let's stay a while."
I smile apologetically at him.
"Of course, Valerie. Please make yourself at home, would you like something to drink?" My mother offers.
"No, no, mum. We should probably head out, remember we left the… err, cat! We left the cat outside." James protests, causing his mother to smile sweetly.
"Oh, you mean the one you named Lily? I'll have a glass of water, if you don't mind."
"NO!" His blush extends to his neck and he looks at me. "I swear we don't have a cat! We do not have a cat. I was just trying to- she can't- Lily! She's gonna bring out the pictures! Please do something!" He whimpers, falling to my side with his head on my shoulder trying to shield his face.
My dad laughs. "I'll admit; this is better than what I had planned."
"Oh, right! That had completely slipped my mind!" She laughs angelically and pulls out her wand. "Everyone get comfortable, I have lots." James flinches as if she had hexed him. I grin and sit back. My parents join us on the couch as Mrs. Potter flicks her wand at the television set and it slides to the left, causing my father to wince.
So there we all sit on the couch with a blank white wall staring us in the face.
"Err, Mrs. Potter? D'you need a table or-" my father is cut off by the wall suddenly erupting with a projection of a photo of baby James.
"Look hunny, that is your first time eating strawberries and whipped cream!" She smiles. "He thought the whipped cream felt like the best thing in the world."
In the picture, you can see someone placing a plate in front of a chubby little baby with a mop of thick black hair and a smile so big you couldn't see his eyes. The cherub face was complete with dimples. Baby James stuck his finger in the fluffy white dessert and after he pulled it out, he plopped his whole face on the plate.
I burst out laughing. "Awww! James you were so cute!"
James pulls back from my shoulder looking deeply offended. "Were? What D'you- I still am cute!"
"Oh and this is him in the bath tub!"
James sucks in a strangled gasp and curls into the fetal position. I laugh harder and teasingly pet his head which happens to be on my lap.
"Oh, goodness, the bubbles popped! See he still has that dimple on his left cheek, you know." She recalls fondely
He starts hyperventilating.
"And this one here is after first year when Sirius came to visit and they had their own little slumber party and they were gossiping like old women in Diagon Alley." She pauses. "Where is Sirius, anyway?"
We all stop and look at each other.
"Sirius is here." Groans a tired voice followed by pounding footsteps. Low and behold, Sirius Black comes stumbling into the room completely naked with a fire engine red mop bucket clutched in his hands to cover his crotch. For a moment, we all just stare at him, and then James applauds.
"Congratulations mate. You showed me up for embarrassing entrances."
"Sirius, where on earth are your clothes?" Mrs. Potter questions not appearing entirely surprised.
He looks at James. James shrugs looking relieved that the attention is now off him. Sirius looks round the room at large. James stands up and summons the pink glove holding the speedo. It comes zooming in from the kitchen and catches Sirius's eye. He widens his eyes and points at it. "That's mine." He says like a three year old who just caught another kid playing with his toy. Did I mention in his haste to claim the floating object, the bucket clattered to the floor and started rolling continuously in circles at his feet.
"Merlin…. Merlin's beard…" he mutters to himself while chasing it with his arse stuck up in the air. When he finally snatches it, his… he isn't… His back is facing us. Everyone in the room turns away and or covers their eyes. "Merlin's pants!" He gets out.
"Yes more like lack thereof." James remarks. "Here" and he flings the speedo into the bucket.